An animal is in distress when in need of proper care, water, food or shelter, being sick, injured, abused or in pain or of suffering undue or unnecessary hardship, privation or neglect.
Injury may be caused by wounding, worrying, terrifying or pursuing.
An animal may not be transported outside the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle unless confined or secured in a body harness, or by means of another fastening, in a manner which is adequate to prevent the animal from falling off the vehicle or otherwise injuring itself or causing a hazard to other vehicles.
An animal may not be confined in an enclosed space, including a motor vehicle, without adequate ventilation.
An animal may not be transported in the trunk of a motor vehicle. (does not apply to a station wagon, passenger van, sport-utility vehicle, hatchback or another type of motor vehicle that does not have a trunk)
An animal may not be hitched, tied or fastened to a fixed object with a choke collar, choke chain, or rope or cord tied around the animal’s neck.
Ear cropping or tail docking of a dog, or permitting the ear cropping or tail docking of a dog, is prohibited unless deemed medically necessary by a veterinarian.
A veterinarian who believes on reasonable grounds that an animal has been or is subject to neglect or abuse shall report to the Chief Veterinary Officer.
A person who, while operating a bicycle or a motor vehicle, injures an animal shall, where reasonably possible, stop and provide the care and attention to the animal that is necessary to relieve its pain and help its recovery.
A person who, while operating a bicycle or a motor vehicle, kills an animal, shall as soon as reasonably possible, notify an inspector of that fact and provide the information that the inspector requires.
Owner Liability:
The owner of an animal shall not permit the animal to cause a hazard to people, livestock operations, other animals, goods, property or the safe operation of motor vehicles.
An owner of a dog shall keep it safely tethered or penned up at all times, unless:
held on a leash by a person capable of restraining its movements
being used by a person for the purpose of lawful hunting
being used by a person to work in a lawful manner with sheep
An owner of an animal shall be liable for damages or injury caused by that animal to a person, other animals, goods or property.
Dog Being a Nuisance:
Where a person finds a dog that is killing, maiming or pursuing natural persons or livestock, the person may:
shoot or otherwise destroy the dog; or
lay a complaint before a Provincial Court judge.
Basic Standards of Dog Care:
A dog shall be provided with:
clean, fresh, unfrozen drinking water, at all times
sufficient quantity and quality of food to allow for normal, healthy growth and the maintenance of normal, healthy bodyweight
clean food and water receptacles located in a manner that prevents spillage and contamination by excreta
adequate veterinary attention when necessary
care that is necessary for the general welfare of the dog.
Design of a Basic Shelter or Dog House:
A dog that is kept outside in weather conditions that may pose a risk to the health of the dog or that is housed outside shall be provided with a shelter in accordance with these standards:
be weather-proof, water-proof and insulated
be sufficiently ventilated in a manner that prevents the accumulation of moisture and odors
be of a size and design adequate and appropriate for the size of the dog
contain an entrance and a hallway that are separate from a sleeping area
have a canvas or rubber flap attached at the entrance
be sufficiently elevated off the ground to ensure that the floor is kept dry
contain bedding of sufficient depth to provide insulation from cold weather conditions.
Straw, woodchips, a blanket or other bedding must be changed every 7 to 14 days, or as otherwise required to keep the interior of the shelter clean and dry.
A mechanism outside of a shelter for a dog shall be provided to hold food and water receptacles in a manner that prevents spillage.
Minimum floor space of the sleeping area in a shelter for a dog shall comprise 232 square centimeters for each 2.5 centimeters of the height of the dog in a standing position. (See Measuring section for further info.)
Minimum ceiling height of the sleeping area in a shelter for a dog shall be 5 centimeters greater than the height of the dog in a sitting position. (See Measuring section for further info.)
Basic Requirements for a Dog Pen or Enclosure:
A pen or enclosure in which a dog is confined must in a good state of repair and made of materials that are not toxic to the dog.
Flooring requirements:
made of a texture and design that prevents the dog from being injured
not be made of wire mesh, metal or wood
A pen or enclosure must not be stacked with another pen or enclosure.
The location must not pose a high risk of injury or other distress to the dog.
It must not contain more than 3 dogs.
It must not contain a dog that may pose a danger to another dog in the same pen or enclosure.
A pregnant or nursing dog that is confined in a pen or enclosure must not be confined with a dog other than its nursing offspring.
There is no maximum number of nursing offspring that may be confined in a pen or enclosure with a nursing dog. The size of the floor of a pen or enclosure in which one dog is confined must not be less than 9 square meters. The length and width of a floor of a pen or enclosure in which more than one dog is confined must each be increased by one meter for each additional dog.
The minimum height of a pen or enclosure must be one meter greater than the height of the tallest dog in a standing position that is confined in that pen or enclosure.
A pen or enclosure must contain at least one shelter for a dog that is designed, built and maintained in accordance with these standards.
It must have an area that provides the dog with shade at all times.
It must be cleaned and have excreta removed from it on a daily basis.
A dog that is confined to a pen or enclosure must be provided:
daily social interaction with people or animals or both
toys and other enrichments that are appropriate for the dog’s well-being
daily access to exercise that is adequate and appropriate for that dog outside of the pen or enclosure.
Measuring a Dog:
Height in standing position measured from the top of the dog’s shoulder to the ground.
Height in sitting position measured from top of the dog’s head to the ground.
Length measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
Tethering:
A dog that is tethered, unsupervised, outside must be:
tethered in a location that does not pose a high risk of injury or other distress to the dog
tethered in an environment that is free of debris and does not cause harm or undue strain or stress to the dog
The area in which a dog is tethered, unsupervised, outside shall be cleaned and have excreta removed from it on a daily basis.
The restraining device used to tether a dog that is unsupervised, outside:
must be at least 5 times the length of the dog (See Measuring section for further info)
must allow the dog to move in a manner that is safe and unrestricted excepted by its length
must not weigh more than 10 per cent of the dog’s body weight
A dog that is tethered, unsupervised, outside must be provided:
daily social interaction with people or animals or both
toys and other enrichments that are appropriate for the dog’s well-being
daily access to exercise that is adequate and appropriate for that dog and that is unfettered from a fixed area
A dog that is young, aged or infirm shall not be tethered, unsupervised, outside for an extended period of time.
Sled Dogs:
An owner of a sled dog, or owner or operator of a kennel, must provide the sled dog with:
adequate veterinary attention
care that is necessary for the general welfare of the sled dog.
Penalties:
A person who is found guilty of an offence under this Act or the regulations may be fined up to $50,000 and, in default of payment, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or to both a fine and imprisonment.
Ban on Ownership:
A Provincial Court judge may, in addition to another penalty, make an order prohibiting that a convicted person from owning an animal (or animals) for a specified period of time or for the remainder of the person’s life.

PLEASE NOTE: At present time in Central Newfoundland, June 2014, only the RCMP can follow up on complaint calls, you can report to the SPCA’s only. All the SPCA’s are listed in our links section, check there for a number in your area. They are all looking for volunteers to be trained and appointed to do this volunteer work. The number of complaints they receive in Central alone is @ 200 plus a year. You can help make a difference in the lives of so many neglected animals by volunteering your time.